Chapter 14: Family Event
Moana

“I’ll pay.”

Ella and I were both shocked when we turned around to see Edrick standing there, credit card in hand, his face covered by sunglasses and a surgical mask.

“Daddy!” Ella exclaimed.

Edrick handed the ice cream salesman his credit card and ruffled Ella’s hair. “Eat your ice cream before it melts,” he said, guiding us away from the stand and the people behind us who were getting quickly annoyed at us for holding up the line to get ice cream.

“I thought you had to work,” Ella said.

“I decided to come home early so I could spend your birthday with you after all,” Edrick replied. “But you weren’t home. Selina told me that you went on an outing…” I couldn’t see his eyes through his sunglasses, but the way his head slowly turned toward me told me everything I needed to know.

embarrassingly down at my rapidly-melting ice cream. We approached a bench and Edrick instructed Ella to sit while she finished her ice cream, then he stood next to me and lowered his voice while

no money?” he asked,

while. And besides, the driver is close; it would’ve

up from her bench. “This is the best birthday ever!” she said very quickly. “Please, I want

was afraid that her father would make her

really not safe for us to be

my birthday,” she whined. “You never

girl, Edrick,” I said quietly. “Let her enjoy her birthday.

out a deep sigh and crouching to

to drag us around the theme park with just as much — if not more — fervor as she had when it was just the two of us. As we spent the afternoon walking around the theme park, I couldn’t help but take out my phone to secretly snap some sweet pictures of Ella and Edrick together. It was so sweet watching them play games together, and seeing Ella sitting on Edrick’s shoulders while we walked that I couldn’t help myself. Edrick didn’t seem to

much energy, and insisted on one more ride before

on his lap. As we started to go up, now that we were safe from prying eyes, Edrick took

needed a fun outing just as much as his daughter

refracted across the treetops as they swayed in the hot summer breeze, and the way that the string lights lit up the park below us, made the city feel even more dazzling than before. Not only that, but the breeze ruffled through my hair and cooled the sweat

to see Ella giggling and peering out over the crowd. And behind her, her father wasn’t looking at the

was looking at

me on accident. Soon, the ferris

bottom, the attendant let us out. Edrick put his mask back on then got out with Ella in one of his arms. Then, he turned

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